Improvement in reed-organ bellows



H. w. SMITH.

Reed Organ Bellows.

N0. 134,104. Paten'ed Dec.17,1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. SMITH7 OF WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN REED-ORGAN BELLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 134,104, dated December I7, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. SMITH, of West Newton, of the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reed-Organs, or various other instruments of like characaoter; and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, andrepresented in the accompanying drawing, which denotes avertical section of a reedorgan, (or the parts thereof to which my invention belongs,) with the additions necessary to the completion of my said improvement or invention.

In carrying out the said invention, I combine with the movable back-board of the bellows of the reed musical instrument or organ a stopping mechanism, such as will enable al performer to estop each board from forward movement in any desirable position within the range of its motion, the board being free to move backward, such being for the purpose of producing a crescendo sound of the reed by means of the exhaust portion of the bellows while in operation.

In the drawing, A denotes the reed; B, the key; C, the reed-chamber; D, the wind-chest; E, the bellows; G, the valve; H, the valverod; a, the stationary board of the bellows; b, the back or rear movable board; and c, the front movable board of such bellows, all being constructed and arranged in the usual way in reed-organs.

That portion of the bellows which is in front of the stationary board a is usually termed the exhaust, or exhauster, its movable board being operated by the performer, and by mechanism, or means well known to the workers of such instruments. The bellowssprings are shown at u and c.

To the lower part of the back-board b I apply a small triangular spur or saw tooth, d, and arrange under it a serrated rack or rackbar, e, as shown, pivoted or hinged at its front end, or at f, to the organ-frame. To this rack I apply a spring, g, to force it into engagement with the tooth d, the said spring being supported by al rod, h, extendeddown from the stationary board a.

I also provide the rack-bar with a pedallever, or means of eifecting its depression and holding it out of engagement with the tooth d, as occasion may require. In the drawing, a rod, i, for such purpose, is shown as eX- tending up from the rear end or part of the rack-bar. Such rod I so connect with apedal or with the usual knee-swell as to enable a performer by such to eiect the necessary depression of the rod, and the consequent downward movement of the rack-bar, as circumstances may require, to admit of the desirable motion or play of the back-board, the latter being estopped from such motion by suffering the rack to rise into engagement with the tooth. The back-board, however, can move backward as the inclined face of the tooth, resisting in succession the inclined faces of the teeth of the rack-bar, will readily slip over them and create a depression of the rack. Thus the rack and the tooth (whose rubbingsurfaces should be padded) will constitute no impediments to the rearward motion of the back-board, and only operate to stop it during a forward movement of it.

When the back-board is so arrested, it will be seen, that, by the action of the exhauster, the air may be drawn with greater force through the reed-opening, and, as a consequence, produce a stronger, or increasing, or crescendo sound ofthe reed, such being controlled or regulated by the performer while operating the bellows.

The serrated toothed rack-bar e and the tooth d thus enable the performer, at any time when desirable, to stop the advance of the backfboard, it being free to retreat, as occasion may require.

I am fully-aware of the invention consti tuting the subject ofthe United States Pati ent No. 91,882, granted to myself and S. D. Smith, as assignees of the inventor, Samuel H. Jones.

There is a material difference between my present invention and that of Jones, as, in the place ofthe peculiar rack-bar and stud used by him, which, though capable of stopping the motion of the back-board operate, to stop it from movements either forward or backward. I employ an angular 0r camshaped stud, and a rack serrated or having cam-shaped teeth, whereby the back-board is stopped from moving in one way only, viz., from advancing, it being free to retreat, as occasion may require, thereby saving the performer the necessity of unl-etching itfbecam-shaped tooth d, the serrated rackba-r e, fore it can retreat, as would be required by the spring g, and the rod-, connected or to the mechanism of Jones. be connected with or applied to e, pedal or I claimoperativenlever, or the equivalent thereof. In combination with the reed-organ or its HENRY W. SMITH.

bellows E, a. back-board-stopping mechanism,

substantially as described, to operate essential- Witnesses: 1y in the manner and for the purpose specified, R. H. EDDY, such mechanism consisting of the an guiar or J. R. SNOW. 

